Cover photo for John Healy's Obituary
John Healy Profile Photo
1930 John 2021

John Healy

February 2, 1930 — March 21, 2021

John grew up in West Springfield, Massachusetts, with his parents and five siblings.  He attended Catholic schools initially, but graduated from West Springfield High School where he was on the football and track teams – when watching pole vault in more modern track events he often commented on the difference between today’s equipment and the bamboo pole he used in the 40’s.  John decided to earn his degree in Civil Engineering and chose Purdue University.  After finishing his first two years there, world events led him to join the army, and he was sent to Korea in 1951.  He returned to Purdue following his honorable discharge and finished his degree.

Though he returned home to Massachusetts for a while, John let his love of skiing lead him to Colorado, where he met and married his wife of 56 years, Dorothy (Haug).  Making a home in Lakewood, John and Dorothy raised their four children (Tim, Teresa, Joe & Kate), attending untold school and sporting events.  Summers were for travel, swimming and family fun.  Winter weekends were for skiing, where four kids joyfully followed their dad’s giant sweeping turns like a row of ducklings on the pond.  They were among the founding members of Saint Jude Catholic Church, where John served as a Eucharistic Minister and found opportunities to volunteer throughout his life.  Soon after marriage John also settled into his engineering career at Stearns-Roger Corporation (eventually a part of Raytheon), working with power plants in Colorado and around the country and the world, including New York, California, Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, Germany, and even making one trip to the former Yugoslavia.

Keeping ties with family was fundamental to John’s life, whether spending time with family locally (mainly in-laws), or taking trips to West Springfield, Cape Cod, Hartford, Louisville, Washington D.C., Del Norte and Santa Monica to visit relatives more distant.

John enjoyed gardening, travel, playing bridge, bicycling, and, especially, skiing.  And that love of skiing stayed with him as he continued hitting the slopes into his 80’s, often three days a week – the year he and his main skiing companion, Jim, both turned 71 they managed to hit 71 days of skiing for the season.  He volunteered for many years with the National Sports Center for the Disabled (NSCD) at Winter Park, which confirmed for him that the joy of schussing down a mountain could be found across many styles and forms.

John held dear many friends from school, church, and work throughout his life.  He enjoyed attending the yearly high school class gatherings they held after their 60th Reunion.  Playing bridge was one means of keeping these connections; a couple’s bridge group formed through church played together for decades, and many an afternoon or evening was spent playing the game with friends from work or the community.

John deeply loved spending time with his children and grandchildren (Zoe, Beckett, William, Etta and Henry), and whether that included hiking, skiing, playing board games, working on puzzles and projects, or simply enjoying a meal and talking through an evening together, he found great peace in sharing that time.

His abiding faith in God guided John in life, and his quiet strength and support was felt by those who knew and loved him, as well as by those with whom his path crossed briefly in his characteristic willingness to be of service.

John’s laughter, kindness, wit, and love will be long remembered, and deeply missed.

If you would like to make a donation to honor John’s memory, please visit the NSCD webpage at https://nscd.org/donate-to-nscd/ to enter your gift amount, and then check the box indicating “The above donation is in honor, memory, or support of someone” and enter John Healy.  Thank you.

Vigil Service Wednesday, April 21, 2021, 6:00 pm, Horan & McConaty, 3101 S. Wadsworth Blvd., Lakewood, CO 80227. Funeral Mass Thursday, April 22, 2021, 10:00 am, St. Jude Catholic Church, 9405 West Florida Ave., Lakewood, CO 80232. Private Interment fort Logan National Cemetery.

For those who can't visit personally, please join virtually by clicking on the following link:

https://youtu.be/eyFyYCD_7IU

NSCD

National Sports Center for the Disabled

1801 Mile High Stadium Cir Ste 1500

Denver, CO  80204-1780

In Memoriam

In Memory Memoriam or Tribute Gifts are a timeless way to remember someone who has impacted the lives of others. To set up this special gift, click the link below and you will be redirected to the NSCD’s donation page. After you enter the gift amount, check the box indicating “The above donation is in honor, memory, or support of someone” and enter the name of the person you would like to remember – we do the rest. The donation is deposited directly into the NSCD’s account.

http://nscd.org/donate-to-nscd/

To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of John Healy, please visit our flower store.

Service Schedule

Past Services

Vigil Service

Wednesday, April 21, 2021

6:00 - 7:00 pm (Mountain (no DST) time)

Horan & McConaty Family Chapel

3101 S Wadsworth Blvd, Lakewood, CO 80227

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Funeral Mass

Thursday, April 22, 2021

Starts at 10:00 am (Mountain (no DST) time)

St. Jude Catholic Church (West Florida Ave, Lakewood, CO)

CO

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